Environmental organizations and scientists are urging the state of Maine, home to the last wild Atlantic salmon population in the United States, to list this species as endangered.
“The state of Maine and a few of our rivers are the only places in the U.S. that still have wild Atlantic salmon,” said John Burrows, executive director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s U.S. branch, as reported by AP on July 25.
Therefore, it is “something that should be done” for Maine to list this fish as a state endangered species, Burrows stated.
A 4-year-old Atlantic salmon photographed in the U.S. in 2012. (Photo: AP).
Atlantic salmon is listed as a federally protected species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. However, Maine is one of the few states that does not have regulations or recommendations to include federally listed species in state protections.
The office of the Commissioner of Maine’s Department of Marine Resources has the authority to list this fish for state protection but has no intention to do so. The reason is that they “do not believe that such a move would provide additional conservation benefits,” said Jeff Nichols, a spokesperson for the office.
However, Burrows argues that listing Atlantic salmon in Maine will elevate the importance of conservation efforts for this species in the permitting process.
Burrows and other organizations continue to advocate for the inclusion of this fish in the protection list.
Previously, environmental advocates supported a bill in Maine that required the Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources to list any federally protected species in the state’s protection list. This bill was canceled in June.
From once being abundant, Atlantic salmon have gradually disappeared from rivers in the U.S. due to dam construction, pollution, climate change, and other environmental challenges.
While efforts to restore salmon populations in Maine have made some progress in recent years, other states have not experienced the same success.
